RICK I., Central Ohio
My story on the pathway home. I am going to make the statement that “Art saved my life.” A pretty bold thing to say, right? Well, it’s true, and here’s how I came to this conclusion. I will begin by telling you a little backstory.
I joined the Air Force at 18, right out of High School. Learning some high-tech skills, getting my education, and, of course, seeing the world were high on this young man’s list at the time. It was the best decision I ever made. I had the opportunity to travel to the United States and Europe. I also learned a pretty cool trade. My job? I was a Technician who worked on cameras and other media systems for reconnaissance and photographic support. I lived in Texas, Colorado, California (twice), and Wiesbaden, Germany. Things were going great until the First Gulf War. Then I became extremely ill. For lack of time, I will let you know that after two major surgeries, Sgt. Rick Isbell found himself medically discharged from the service.
I didn’t know it at the time, but the drive to better myself and to be able to work again was a saving grace. Years later, I would meet a doctor who would cement this theory for me. As a young man, I knew that I could not feel sorry for myself and accept being a 100% Disabled veteran at the age of 24. I knew that I had to pick myself up, push forward, and go back to school. No matter how sick and weak I felt, my will for survival and to take care of my family was my driving force. You have all heard that knowledge is power right? Well, in this case, it was. I talked the VA into allowing me to attend the Columbus College of Art and Design through the Chapter 31 Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. And I am all the better for it.
First, before we go any further, let me share with you a little something about my family. We all love to joke and kid around and be goofy. When we are all together, you better be on your “A” game, because the funny flows fast. Unfortunately, for me after I returned home from the service I was noticeably slow and sluggish. I always felt like I was a step behind. By the time I thought of a witty comeback, they had already moved on to the next subject. It was a lonely feeling. I was surrounded by people who loved and cared for me but I couldn’t keep up with them. It was as if there was a gauze over my eyes and everything was fuzzy and not entirely in focus.
Often, when people who have had traumatic events happen to them, there is memory loss and, in some cases, loss of self. Later on in life, I had the great pleasure to work with Dr. Chrisanne Gordon, Founder and Chairwoman of Resurrecting Lives Foundation. Our chance meeting gave me some insight and explained some of the things that happen to a brain with stress and trauma. Our brains are remarkable and truly fantastic. In studies, they have found that there can be scar tissue blocking the pathways to a veteran’s memories after a traumatic event. Now, if you do not try to begin working your mind you could lose some of your memories forever. The key is to start an education program as soon as possible because giving your mind a workout can actually help you to grow new pathways around the scars to reach those memories. That is why you find some military members so frustrated; they know the memory is there, and they can’t get to it. So you see, If I had not forced myself to go back to art school as soon as I physically could after my last surgery, I may not have been able to get my mind working on forging new paths and clearing out the cobwebs.
I will never forget the day when I felt lucid. It was as if someone removed the veil from my eyes, and I could think clearly and quickly again. If you recall, earlier, I boldly said, “Art saved my life.” Well, it’s true, and I will forever be thankful. I will always be convinced that the art helped me heal faster. I recently volunteered to be part of a VA study on how art helps disabled veterans. Now, I already knew its results for me, but I wanted to see firsthand how the others handled the situation. It was beautiful to see all the changes these veterans experienced when they were creative. Everyone felt overall calmness; even the most agitated group member felt it. They were all different ages, sexes, creeds, and eras of service, diversity at its finest.
We recently had an art show for all of the vets who wanted to participate. I placed some paintings in the gallery, but they were not recent works. It was important to me to use the paintings produced during my rehabilitation. The ones that I used to pull myself out of the haze and get back into the world.
This was my comeback from being a 100% service-connected disabled veteran. I worked to overcome obstacles to achieve my top goals:
1. To be able to work again and support my family, and
2. Honor, Celebrate, and Inspire veterans like myself through programs like the Fallen 15, American Legion, and the Homeless Veterans Stand Down.
Thank you for taking a moment to listen to my pathway home.